Constitution as at November 2013

The organisation is part of the Ramblers’ Association (a registered charity number 1093577 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England & Wales number 4458492), being a Local Group as defined in Clause 6.1 of the Association’s Articles of Association. The name of the organisation shall be “The Ramblers’ Association, East Surrey Walkers Group”, and it shall be within the Association’s Surrey Area. The above bodies are hereafter referred to as “the Association”, “the Group”, and “the Area”.

2. OBJECTS

The objects of the Group are to further within its territory (see succeeding clause) the objects of the Association in such ways as the Area governing body may from time to time decide and subject to the overriding control of the Board of Trustees.

3. TERRITORY

The Group shall function in and around East Surrey or such other territory as may be agreed with the governing body of the Area from time to time.

4. MEMBERSHIP

Membership of the Group shall consist of all existing members, all individuals as are allocated to the Group by the Board of Trustees or as requested by a member in accordance with the RA’s Memorandum and Articles of Association and standing orders.

5. RELATIONS WITH THE AREA AND THE ASSOCIATION

The Group shall act in agreement with the Area Council and the Board of Trustees of the Association, as laid down in Clause 6 of the RA’s Articles of Association.

6. MANAGEMENT

(i) Subject to the directions of any Group Annual or Special General Meeting as to the exercise of its powers, the management and control of the Group shall be vested in a Committee which shall consist of the Honorary Officers and as many members of the Group as the Annual Meeting shall from time to time decide, subject to a minimum overall membership of three. All members shall retire annually, but shall be eligible for re-election. (ii) The Committee shall decide when and where it shall meet and shall provide adequate notice to all Committee members.

(ii) The Committee shall decide when and where it shall meet and shall provide adequate notice to all Committee members.

(iii) Three Committee members shall form a quorum.

(iv) The Committee shall have power to co-opt additional members.

(v) The Committee shall have power to fill casual vacancies.

(vi) The Committee shall receive regular reports from any subcommittee established under Clause 8.

(vii) The Committee shall report regularly to the Area Council.

(viii) A special meeting of the Committee shall be called by the Secretary as soon as may be on the request of the Chairman or of not fewer than three members of the Committee.

7. OFFICERS

(i) The Honorary Officers of the Group shall be a Chairman, a Treasurer, a Secretary and such other officers as the Group in General Meeting may determine, to be elected at the Annual Meeting.

(ii) They shall retire at the Annual Meeting following their election, but shall be eligible for re-election.

(iii) With effect from the 2014 Annual General Meeting a Committee member must retire after a maximum of three years continuous service in any one Post. He/she shall be eligible to be re-elected to the same Post when he/she has been out of office for one year.

(iv) With effect from the 2014 Annual General Meeting a retiring Committee Member may immediately stand for election for an alternative Post but must retire after a maximum of six years continuous service in any combination of Posts. He/she shall be eligible to be re-elected to the Committee when he/she has been out of office for one year.

(v) The Committee shall have power to fill vacancies.

8. SUB-COMMITTEES

The Committee shall have power to appoint sub-committees and to determine their powers and terms of reference.

(ii) he/she fails to attend three consecutive meetings of the Committee as may be convened unless the failure to attend was due to some reason approved by the Committee.

10. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

In the first quarter of each financial year the Committee shall convene an Annual General Meeting of the Group. Written notice of not less than fourteen days shall be given. All members of the Group shall be entitled to attend, to:

(i) Consider the Annual Report of the Committee.

(ii) Consider the Group income and expenditure accounts for the preceding Association financial year, a balance sheet showing the assets and liabilities at the end of that year and the independent examiner's certificate.

(iii) Appoint the Honorary Officers.

(iv) Elect the Committee.

(v) Appoint representatives to the governing body of the Area.

(vi) Appoint an independent examiner or examiners.

(vii) Discuss and consider motions, notice of which shall have been given in writing to the Secretary at least seven days prior to the meeting

(viii) Vote on any proposals to amend this constitution in accordance with clause 14 hereof.

11. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE GROUP

The Chairman or the Secretary may at any time, and shall within 21 days of receiving a request to do so, signed by not less than one twentieth of the members of the Group with a minimum of ten members, and giving reasons for the request, call a Special General Meeting, of which fourteen days' notice shall be given. The notice of the meeting shall contain notice of the matters to be discussed and the terms of any motions which it is intended to move.

12. FINANCE

(i) All monies raised by and on behalf of the Group including any funding received from the Area shall be applied in furtherance of the objects of the Association.

(ii) The Honorary Treasurer shall keep proper financial records and shall report regularly to the Committee. If required by the Area, he/she shall be responsible for the preparation of the annual budget for the Group and its submission to the Area Treasurer for approval. He/she shall also be responsible for the preparation annually of Group income and expenditure accounts for the preceding Association financial year, a balance sheet showing the assets and liabilities at the end of that year, and for their submission to the Group's independent examiner.

(iii) All accounts in the name of the Group shall be opened at such Bank as the Board of Trustees may approve. All monies received shall be paid into the Bank and all payments, other than petty cash payments, shall be made by cheque or appropriate form of electronic transmission subject to appropriate controls. Cheques shall be signed by the Honorary Treasurer and/or other officers as decided by the Group Committee. To enable petty cash expenses to be paid, an advance shall be made to the Honorary Treasurer when necessary.

(iv) The independent examiner(s) report shall be addressed to the members of the Group and to the Area Treasurer.

13. DISSOLUTION

If, in the event of the dissolution of the Group, confirmed by a majority of those present and voting at a General Meeting of the Group, there remains after the satisfaction of its debts and liabilities any property whatever, it shall be transferred to the Area.

14. ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION

(i) Insofar as any alteration or amendment is not inconsistent with the RA’s Memorandum and Articles of Association and standing orders, this Constitution may be amended, subject to prior approval by the Area governing body, at any General Meeting, in accordance with the approval of a two-thirds majority of members present and voting.

(ii) Any proposal for such alteration must be delivered in writing to the Secretary of the Group not less than twenty-eight days before the meeting of the Group at which it is to be discussed and not less than fourteen days' notice of this meeting, giving the terms of the proposed alteration, shall be given to the members of the Group.

15. NOTICE

The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting or the non-receipt of a notice of meeting by any member shall not invalidate any proceedings or resolutions at any meeting of the Group or any committee.